A research team from National Cheng Kung University’s environmental and occupational health department on Monday said its study had shed light onto how exposure to industrial plasticizers can lead to low testosterone levels and possibly infertility in men.
Research team head Lee Ching-chang (李俊璋) said the findings were based on a study of 259 infertile men recruited at infertility clinics and 39 fertile men recruited from childbirth classes between 2011 and last year.
Researchers measured the concentrations of plasticizers in the participants’ urine and compared the results with indicators of testicular function to see if there was a correlation between the presence of industrial chemicals and infertility.
At a press briefing at the university, Lee said the study found that the concentration of plasticizers in the system of an infertile man was more than double that of a fertile man’s.
This is because plasticizers can affect the functioning of Leydig cells and suppress the production of testosterone, Lee said, adding that when both the Leydig cell hormones’ insulin-like peptide 3 and testosterone are low, males are likely to have poor semen quality.
Industrial plasticizers, also known as phthalates, are additives that make plastics more flexible and harder to break.
People are frequently exposed to plasticizers, which are used in cartons and bags containing food or drinks, the team said.
Men who use a lot of shower gel, shampoo, shaving cream or aftershave were also found to have higher concentrations of plasticizers in their systems, Lee said.
The study was published in the most recent edition of Human Reproduction, a journal of medicine and health published by the Oxford University Press, Lee said.
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